-
All our churches are open daily.
Many thanks for your interest, we hope to see you soon.
Dear Friends,
Two events recently in our Benefice have reminded me of Pilgrimages.
In medieval times, up to the Reformation in the 1500s, they were popular both within this country, such as to Canterbury and Walsingham, and beyond, including going to Rome.
These days they are increasing in popularity again, going to places of spiritual significance. Sometimes they happen in Lent or Holy Week. Overseas, places such as Santiago de Compostello in Spain or the Holy Land are the destinations, or in our country places such as Lindisfarne/Holy Island.
Another pilgrimage in medieval times, which was more of a procession, is Rogation where people would go round the parish asking for God’s blessing on the crops just sown. Pilgrimages, including Rogation, were banned at the Reformation. Instead of praying for the crops, Beating the Bounds often took over instead with people now going round the parish boundary. As with other pilgrimages, Rogation has become more common again, normally in May. Often, as well as asking for God’s blessing on the crops prayers are made more generally for farming and associated businesses with it.
One of the recent events I mentioned at the top is the annual walk from East to West Runton on Good Friday. Amongst other reasons, it is partly following Christ’s procession to the Cross but also being a witness to other people of the Christian faith and particularly at the Easter season.
The other was Bishop Graham’s walk from Felbrigg to Aylmerton on April 9th. This type of pilgrimage gives him an opportunity to see not only the Churches and the environment where they are but also to meet the people in each Parish or Benefice. It can, like any pilgrimage, bring those taking part closer to God and each other.
Another place of significance is Norwich Cathedral. At the Chaplains’ meetings we are reminded that a visit there is felt to be a pilgrimage – whether to see the building as a whole or one particular place in it.
One can add that our lives can be like a pilgrimage, so perhaps we can see God encouraging and supporting us through our journey in life.
With good wishes
Canon William
Let us pray:
God our guide,
your light shows us the path we should walk
and your love sustains us on our journey.
Be with us in the pilgrimage of our lives,
that in all moments of loneliness we would know your presence,
in all moments of uncertainty we would know your direction
and in all moments of pain we would know your peace,
through the one who came to walk alongside us as our friend,
even Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
PRAYER CORNER
Come now, turn aside for a while from your daily employment, escape for a moment from the tumult of your thoughts. Put aside your weighty cares, let your burdensome distractions wait, free yourself for a while for God and rest awhile in him. Enter the inner chamber of your soul, shut out everything except God and that which can help you in seeking him, and when you have shut the door, seek him. Now, my soul, say to God, ‘I seek your face; Lord it is your face that I seek.’ Amen.
Anselm (1033-1109)
Please pray--
For the WILD-er Church and ECO Church initiatives
SAFEGUARDING, HELP AND ADVICE
Safeguarding means protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of children and adults at risk of, or experiencing, emotional, psychological, physical or spiritual harm and/or neglect.
Safeguarding means enabling those who are affected to live safely, free from any kind of abuse or neglect. It is about people and organizations working together to prevent and reduce both the risks and actual experience of abuse in all of its forms.
We take safeguarding very seriously, at all of the Benefice Churches and care about all those we seek to serve within our churches and our communities.
We conform to the policy of Norwich Diocese which can be found at https://www.dioceseofnorwich.org/about/safeguarding
If you believe that either yourself or someone you know may be at risk of harm or neglect, please contact the Benefice Safeguarding Officer Rev. Paul Yeomans 07437203535 to discuss your concerns and what the next steps might be.
Alternatively, you may contact the Norwich Diocese Safeguarding Team by email at safeguarding@dioceseofnorwich.org or by telephone on: 01603 882345.
If you yourself or someone you know is in immediate danger of being harmed then please call 999 to be advised by the emergency services.
Powered by Weebly